# A cat in a tree **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 25, 2018, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-cat-in-a-tree/811169 "2018-03-25T18:40:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![harmonicamoon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/65b543/32.png) [@harmonicamoon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/harmonicamoon)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2018, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-cat-in-a-tree/811169/1 "2018-03-25T18:40:18Z")
I am sure that this subject has been covered. We have a lot of cat people here. My cat went up a tree. A five year old male, and sterile. And couldn’t find an exit. I wasn’t worried. I thought he would eventually find his way down. After 24 hours, my neighbor was worried. And he fetched a ladder from the neighbor. And brought the cat down. If he didn’t do this, what would have been the likely outcome? ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2018, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-cat-in-a-tree/811169/2 "2018-03-25T19:13:36Z")
The cat would either manage to get down safely on its own, or not. > **[Free business profile for TREECATRESCUE.COM provided by Network Solutions](http://www.treecatrescue.com/pgs/02_myths_and_facts.html)** > > Learn about TREECATRESCUE.COM from this free business profile provided by Network Solutions ---
**Author:** ![harmonicamoon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/65b543/32.png) [@harmonicamoon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/harmonicamoon)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2018, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-cat-in-a-tree/811169/3 "2018-03-25T19:21:21Z")
Thank you QtM. That link said a mouthful. I prefer to let a higher source handle the outcome. Maybe it is population control? It is difficult to see the big picture. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2018, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-cat-in-a-tree/811169/4 "2018-03-25T19:23:47Z")
My cat went up a tree. I was worried about her, but didn’t have a suitable ladder. We were advised to leave a can of tuna on the ground to coax her down. I called a tree trimming company, since they have equipment to get up into trees, but they said they were too busy with their regular work. (And I think they were worried a cat might scratch one on them.) She did eventually come down, but the stats on cats climbing down after a day aren’t great. So, your cat might have come down, or might not have. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2018, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-cat-in-a-tree/811169/5 "2018-03-25T19:28:44Z")
I once had a stray cat come up. He was very friendly. I assumed he was a drop off. I usually feed and worm and get shots for all drop offs. I couldn’t get my hands on him for more than a minute. He ate readily and occasionally would sidle up to my leg and take a pet or ear scratch. That cat would climb a tree and howl for hours. I took to rescuing him. I would get halfway down the ladder and he would bail. I kept thinking he would learn to either quit climbing or how to get down. Never did. He disappeared one day. I think he climbed a tree where he couldn’t be heard. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2018, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-cat-in-a-tree/811169/6 "2018-03-25T22:20:37Z")
> [@harmonicamoon](#): > > I prefer to let a higher source handle the outcome. Maybe it is population control? > > It is difficult to see the big picture. I have gone out of my way to help animals in distress. But I donate a lot more money to Planned Parenthood than to the ASPCA. ---
**Author:** ![Graymalkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/35a633/32.png) [@Graymalkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Graymalkin)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2018, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-cat-in-a-tree/811169/7 "2018-03-27T00:31:17Z")
My cat, Graymalkin, has spent four nights in a row three different times up a tree. He finally learned how to back down. This was several years ago and there has been no problem since. He was pretty thirsty, but that was about it. ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2018, 12:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-cat-in-a-tree/811169/8 "2018-03-27T12:22:37Z")
My ex-husband used to calm me down when our cats did this by telling me he’d never seen a cat skeleton in a tree. 🙂 I frequently called tree services to get my cats down, and they would come if they were nearby or if they had the time. I’d tip them whatever money I had available. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2018, 12:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-cat-in-a-tree/811169/9 "2018-03-27T12:36:50Z")
Dennis was stuck in a dead tree with no limbs one morning, howling piteously. When I brought out food for the other cats, he came down for breakfast. ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2018, 1:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-cat-in-a-tree/811169/10 "2018-03-27T13:06:20Z")
How did Dennis climb the tree if he had no limbs? 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2018, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-cat-in-a-tree/811169/11 "2018-03-27T13:11:09Z")
> [@Dung\_Beetle](#): > > My ex-husband used to calm me down when our cats did this by telling me he’d never seen a cat skeleton in a tree. 🙂 True. Once they die, or just weaken enough, they generally fall out of the tree. ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2018, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-cat-in-a-tree/811169/12 "2018-03-27T13:33:57Z")
It quit working when I saw a raccoon carcass in a tree. Eventually vultures carried it off. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2018, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-cat-in-a-tree/811169/13 "2018-03-27T15:27:17Z")
> [@Dung\_Beetle](#): > > How did Dennis climb the tree if he had no limbs? 😕 I believe he reppelled down a rope using his teeth. I was getting the cat’s breakfast at the time. ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2018, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-cat-in-a-tree/811169/14 "2018-03-27T17:56:42Z")
Man, you got to keep an eye on that Dennis. 🙂